South Eastern Health Board Data Co-ordination Overview of Drug Misuse 2000 Compiled by: Martina Kidd, Data Co-ordinator for Drugs, South Eastern Health Board Drug Co-ordination Unit. ISBN: 1874218-05-6 Printed by: Modern Printers, Kilkenny. 056-21739 INTRODUCTION Following the Drug and Alcohol Misuse Prevention Strategy which was passed by the South Eastern Health Board in April 1999, a data co-ordinator was appointed in January 2000 to gather data in relation to alcohol and drug use within the South Eastern Health Board region. This is the first report from the Data Co-ordinator and following is a brief outline of data collected for the year 2000. A more detailed report will be issued to each of the Services who provided data throughout the year. Please note that the data as presented in this report is based on information supplied by the respective Services. CURRENT DATA COLLECTION SOURCES 1. Five South Eastern Health Board Addiction Treatment Services 2. Two Drug Treatment Clinics 3. Hospital in Patient Enquiry System (H.I.P.E.) —General Hospital Services 4. Psychological Services 5. in Patient Psychiatric Services 6. Two Aiséirí Centres – Cahir and Wexford 7. Aislinn Adolescent Addiction Treatment Centre, Kilkenny 8. Community Alcohol Drug Services, Family Centre, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford 9. South East Regional Drug Helpline 10. Probation &. Welfare Services 11. Gardai 1. South Eastern Health Board Addiction Treatment Services There are five addiction treatment services in the South Eastern Health Board region based in each of the Counties, Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford. Data from these Services is collected from a form supplied by the Drug Misuse Research Division of the Health Research Board and is part of the National Drug Treatment Reporting System. The forms are completed by the Services’ Counsellors and one form is required to be completed for each individual treated during the twelve month period running from 1 January to 31 December. Below are the results of the data collected during the year 2000. The overall figures include data collected from both statutory and voluntary treatment services. The breakdown figures only include data from the South Eastern Health Board Addiction Treatment Services. 1 Please note that the following figures are based on those presenting to the treatment services and are not necessarily representative of the general drug using population but only those who present for treatment. Overall 1,418 clients attended for treatment at the five South Eastern Health Board Addiction Treatment Services, Aiséirí in Cahir and Wexford, Aislinn, Ballyragget, Family Centre, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford and Drug Treatment Clinics in Carlow and Waterford from January to December 2000. 3% of these individuals made contact with more than one of the Services. S.E.H.B. Treatment Service Name Numbers Who Total Number Who Attended For Attended For Treatment Treatment Per Service A.C.C.E.P.T. - Waterford Brook House Waterford 230 Dungarvan Centre 24 Cappoquin Centre 11 265 South Tipperary Alcohol & Addiction Service Coolgreaney House, Clonmel 155 Carrick-on-Suir Centre 13 168 Community Counselling Service Wexford St. Senan’s Hospital Enniscorthy 64 Gorey Health Centre 10 New Ross Health Centre 12 Enniscorthy Health Centre 10 Wexford Community Mental Health Centre 39 135 Community Alcohol Treatment Service Kilkenny C.A.T.S. St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny 140 St. Canice’s Hospital 7 Castlecomer Health Centre 18 Urlingford Health Centre 1 166 Community Alcohol Service Carlow Addiction Service St. Dympna’s Hospital 233 In-patients, St. Dympna’s Hospital 41 274 2 Below please find some results from data received from the treatment services. Again, please note that the overall figures include data from the five South Eastern Health Board Services, the voluntary sector and the two drug treatment services. The other breakdown figures are from the South Eastern Health Board Services only. 1. EVER PREVIOUSLY BEEN TREATED FOR DRUG MISUSE: Overall: 62% had never previously been treated 35% had previously been treated 3% not known South Eastern Health Board Addiction Treatment Services: 3 2. SOURCE OF REFERRAL: Referrals from Hospital/Medical Agency are highest from Wexford and Carlow Services. Referrals from the Court/Probation/Police are high within all the Services, with the majority coming from the Probation & Welfare Service. 3. GENDER: Throughout all services the majority of those attending for treatment of problem drug/alcohol misuse were males. Overall: 77% male 23% female. 4 4. AGE: South Eastern Health Board Services South Age Group Overall Waterford Wexford Kilkenny Carlow Tipperary 10 – 19yrs 15% 20% 17% 7% 4% 12% 20 – 29 yrs 34% 34% 37% 33% 28% 40% 30 – 39 yrs 22% 20% 23% 30% 23% 20% 40 - 49 yrs 16% 12% 18% 16% 25% 12% 50 - 59 yrs 10% 9% 4% 10% 13% 10% 60 - 69 yrs 3% 3% 1% 2% 4% 4% 70 - 79 yrs 1% 0% 0% 1% 2% 0% Not Known 1% 0% 1% 0% 2% 1% 5. LIVING STATUS: Overall LIVING STATUS Percentages 1. Alone 13% 2. Parents/family 44% 3. Friends 3% 4. With partner 11% 5. With partner &. child(ren) 17% 6. Institution 2% 7. Temporary/homeless 3% 8. Alone with child(ren) 4% 9. Other 1% 10. Not Known 1% South Eastern Health Board Services: 5 6. LIVING WITH DRUG MISUSER(S): Again throughout all the Services the majority of those attending for treatment were not living with a drug misuser - overall this accounted for 85% of clients. 7. AREA OF RESIDENCE: Overall: 6 8. NATIONALITY: 97% of those who attended for treatment were Irish. The other 3% were for the most part English or Scottish. 9. EMPLOYMENT STATUS: South Eastern Health Board Services Employment Status Overall Waterford South Wexford Kilkenny Carlow Tipp In paid employment 40% 43% 30% 40% 51% 43% Unemployed 36% 32% 48% 28% 24% 37% FÁS/Training course 5% 5% 5% 10% 5% 5% Student 5% 9% 5% 0% 1% 4% Housewife/husband 5% 6% 6% 7% 5% 6% Retired/unable to work 5% 5% 5% 3% 9% 4% Other 2% 1% 1% 0% 2% 0% Not Known 2% 0% 1% 12% 2% 1% The majority of those seeking treatment were in paid employment for each of the Services, followed by those who were unemployed, except in South Tipperary. 10. EDUCATION HIGHEST LEVEL REACHED: There is a high level of “not known” in the Wexford Service this may be due to resource problems in compiling the data. 7 11. PROBLEM DRUG USE - MAIN DRUG: Across all Services, the main drug for which treatment was sought during 2000 was alcohol. Overall this figure accounted for 72% of clients. This was followed by cannabis at 17%, MDMA (Ecstasy, E, XTC etc) at 5% (Ecstasy accounted for most of this figure) and Heroin at 3%. Again the overall figure relates to the South Eastern Health Board Treatment Services plus the voluntary treatment services. Overall: Main Drug: Alcohol 72% Amphetamines 1% Benzodiazepines 0.5% Cannabis 17% Cocaine 0.5% Hallucinogens 0.2% MDMA 5% Heroin 3% Other opiate type drugs 0.5% Prescribed medication 0.3% Below is a breakdown of figures from the five South Eastern Health Board Addiction Treatment Services for the top three or four drugs for which treatment was sought in the respective Services. 8 12. MAIN DRUG - FREQUENCY OF USE PAST MONTH: Overall, of those who sought treatment for alcohol, cannabis, MDMA and heroin the following is a breakdown of the use of these drugs in the previous month prior to seeking treatment. 13. MAIN DRUG - AGE AT FIRST USE: Of those who sought treatment for alcohol, cannabis, MDMA and heroin the following is a breakdown of the age that the clients first used the respective drugs. Again, as for item 12 above, these figures are based on data from all of the treatment services, both statutory and voluntary, within the Health Board area. From the data received, the age of first use of alcohol and cannabis is highest between the ages of 10-14 yrs and 15-19 yrs, while the age of first use of MDMA and heroin is highest at l5-19yrs. In the Region, of those who sought treatment for heroin use 35% had injected in the past month prior to treatment and 12% had shared equipment. 9 2. Drug Treatment Clinics There are two drug treatment clinics in the South Eastern Health Board region, one in Carlow, the other in Waterford. These clinics are essentially for those who are addicted to opiates. As with the other treatment services, data collected from these Clinics form part of the National Drug Treatment Reporting System. G.P.s also provide a drug treatment service but no data is available. 10 attended the Carlow Clinic and 8 the Waterford Clinic for treatment. Again as with the other treatment services the majority attending for treatment are male. The majority of clients for both clinics were in the 20 to 29 age group, although 12% of the Waterford clients were in the 10 to 19 age group. There were none in this age group attending the Carlow clinic. 90% of those attending the Carlow Clinic have addresses in Carlow area and 10% have addresses in Kilkenny City. 37% of those attending the Waterford Clinic have addresses in Waterford City and South Tipperary respectively and 13% have addresses in County Waterford and Wexford respectively. Unlike the other treatment services, the majority of those attending the Drug Treatment Clinics are unemployed. 10 Employment Status Carlow Clinic Waterford Clinic In paid employment 30% 12% Unemployed 50% 88% FAS/training course 10% 0% Housewife/husband 10% 0% 3. H.I.P.E. system H.I.P.E. is the Hospital In-patient Enquiry System for the General Hospitals which records the diagnosis (up to five diagnoses can be recorded for each patient) and procedures for each patient admitted to the Hospitals.